Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 132 i The Week Junior

On 11 June, Donald Trump, the US president, met Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. The two men shook hands in Singapore in Southeast Asia, before discussing how North Korea will get rid of its nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are very powerful bombs that can destroy entire cities. How did this meeting happen? Lots of people did not believe this meeting would ever take place because the US and North Korea have been enemies for many years. In the past, Kim Jong-un and Trump have used Twitter to threaten and insult each other, and there were fears that war could break out between the two countries. Recently, Kim has become friendlier to the US and also to South Korea, another former enemy. In April, he met South Korea’s leader,…

US president, Donald Trump, fell out with the other leaders at the G7 summit, which was held on 8 and 9 June in Quebec, Canada. The G7 summit is a meeting that is held every year between seven powerful countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. They meet to talk about important issues affecting the world. This year it was hoped that the seven countries would be able to reach an agreement on how they trade goods with one another. Before the meeting, Trump introduced a charge of 25% on steel brought in to the US from other countries. This new charge, known as a tariff, made some countries angry because it makes it harder for them to sell their steel to the US. In…

Magheramore Beach, Ireland Record-breaking skinny dip On 9 June, more than 2,500 women congregated on Magheramore Beach in County Wicklow to take part in the world’s largest skinny dip to raise money for charity. Skinny dipping is the term used to describe swimming without wearing any clothes. Thousands were involved in the annual women-only event, which this year raised money for Aoibheann’s Pink Tie, Ireland’s national children’s cancer charity. The record-breaking dip raised around £250,000. Laramie, US Huge tornado tears past town On 6 June, a tornado swept passed the town of Laramie in the state of Wyoming. The powerful funnel-shaped cloud formed in two minutes and descended with hardly any warning, but luckily no one was injured. A tornado is a rotating column of air that is formed when…

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the world through an animal’s eyes? A new study has found that a human’s visual acuity (the ability to see objects clearly) helps us see fine details that many animals can’t. The amount of detail that a species can see depends on the size and structure of the eye, among other things. A team of researchers from North Carolina’s Duke University, in the US, analysed a range of reports on the visual acuity of around 600 species, including birds, fish, insects and mammals. The researchers found that the eyes of smaller animals tend to have low visual acuity and so are only able to see fine patterns within short distances. Fish, for example, can only see half as well…

Money influences everyone’s life, but there was a time before it existed. Before money was invented, people would simply swap their goods. This trade was known as bartering. For example, a person good at fishing would barter some fish with someone who grew vegetables – so they both had a more interesting meal. However, bartering takes a long time because you need to find someone who has what you need and also wants what you have. By 600BC, King Alyattes of Lydia (now in modern Turkey) created the first official currency. His government distributed coins made of a mixture of gold and silver. The coins were of value to everyone in the kingdom so could be used to buy many things. Paper money was introduced in China during the 7th…

Disgust is an emotion that evolved to help humans avoid getting ill. Eating rotten food can lead to stomach problems, and close contact with people who have a contagious illness can be fatal. Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine asked more than 2,500 people to rate 74 scenarios on a scale ranging from no disgust to extreme disgust. The scenarios included hearing someone wheeze heavily, and pouring lumpy, stale milk onto your cereal. They found that there are six categories that trigger disgust, including poor hygiene, rotting food and animals or insects carrying germs. They also found that women found things more disgusting than men. Professor Val Curtis, who led the study, said the findings could “help us develop new methods to keep our environments, fellow…

Is anybody there? Nature reclaims these homes in a deserted village on Shengshan Island, China. The big feast Muslims break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Heroic pair A rescue worker and his search dog help after the Fuego earthquake in Guatemala. Out of this world This spectacular image of our galaxy, the Milky Way, was captured in Dorset. Space signs German astronaut Alexander Gerst sends his love before lift-off. Water creature Droplets of morning dew cover this caterpillar in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. As cool as ice A kayaker travels along a glacier stream in British Columbia, Canada.…

On 22 June, the Great Exhibition of the North officially opens. One of the biggest events in the UK this year, it will tell the inspiring story of the north of England and how its artists, businesses, designers and innovators have shaped the UK – and are inspiring its future. For 80 days, Newcastle and Gateshead in the north-east of England will play host to live performances, amazing exhibits, dazzling displays and incredible experiences. The opening night is set to be a spectacular event. Audiences will line up along the River Tyne to watch live music and witness the first dramatic display of the Get North Water Sculpture. The 80-metre-long water feature (the largest in the UK) will move in time to music by local band Maxïmo Park, and Kate…

Whip up a summer pudding What you need ● 4–6 slices of white, sliced bread, all crusts removed ● 350g frozen summer fruits, defrosted ● 60g sugar ● Knife ● Saucepan ● Glass bowl ● Small bowl ● Large plate Instructions Line the bowl with pieces of the bread, leaving no gaps. Put the fruit in the saucepan with the sugar and stir over a medium heat for five minutes. Put the fruit into the bread-lined bowl and use a small bowl to store the leftover juice. This can be used to cover any white patches of bread the next day. Place the large plate on top of the bowl and refrigerate for six to eight hours. Then, turn the bowl and plate over and gently ease the pudding out…

Residents in a city south-west of Kyoto, in Japan, were baffled after their shoes started to go missing in the middle of the night. They called in the police to solve the mystery of who had stolen 40 pairs of shoes from eight of the houses. Police watched the homes for six hours during the night and eventually found the suspects – a pair of crafty foxes. DID YOU KNOW? Foxes are members of the dog family and a group of foxes is called a skulk or a leash.…

An anti-bullying charity called the Diana Award has succeeded in getting dictionaries to change their meaning of the word bully. The old definition in the Oxford English Dictionary said a bully was “a person who uses strength or influence to harm or intimidate those who are weaker”. It’s been changed to make it clear that a bully isn’t strong, and someone being bullied isn’t weak. Google, Collins Dictionary, Dictionary.com, Oxford Dictionaries and Cambridge Dictionary have all changed their definition.…

Words are powerful. They contain meaning, expression and emotion. They are essential for our communication and how we understand each other. At the extreme end of the language scale is swearing. This is a sensitive topic and one on which people disagree, because some words are very offensive. However, it’s an important subject because “bad” language is something we all encounter at some point in our life. We might hear swearing on television, in a film or by someone walking down the street. People swear for a variety of reasons. They use swear-words when they are angry, happy, sad or surprised, but is there any benefit to it? Does swearing only result in people being offended, or should children learn about it? YES – the words will lose their power…

A five-year-old boy from Lebanon called Ralph is following in his family’s footsteps to become part of its fourth generation of palaeontologists – people who study fossils of animals and plants. Ralph’s palaeontologist father, Pierre Abi Saad, told BBC journalist Eloise Alanna about family trips to “fish” for fossils. Lebanon’s fossil-filled mountains formed 40 million years ago when the tectonic plates (parts of the Earth’s crust) shifted, pushing the land 800 metres above sea level. The rocky slopes are packed with the fossils of sharks and rays; Abi Saad once found the world’s biggest sawfish fossil. Any fossils the family discover are taken to their laboratory, where they carefully preserve their finds.…

Earlier this month, villagers and wildlife officials in Madhya Pradesh, India used rope and bamboo to build a ladder in order to rescue a wild leopard that had fallen down a six-metre-deep well. ● LIFESPAN IN THE WILD: Between 10 and 12 years. ● HABITAT: Leopards live in a variety of habitats, including deserts, jungles and mountains across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. ● DIET: Arachnids, small birds, crustaceans, insects, small to medium-sized mammals and reptiles. ● FUN FACT: A leopard’s spots are known as rosettes because their shape is a bit like that of a rose. LEAPING LEOPARDS Leopards can jump forward six metres in one leap.…

Around 2,300 miles west of South America sits the small island of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. The island is home to hundreds of stone statues, called moai, some of them 10 metres tall. The statues were built between AD1000 and AD1650 by settlers from eastern Polynesia, and some of the figures wear hats that weigh up to 13 tonnes. Scientists have long wondered how ancient people managed to hoist such heavy things onto the statues. The statues are carved from volcanic rock from a quarry on the island; the hats are carved from another type of rock called red scoria, and come from the other side of the island. Sean Hixon heads a team of experts who believe that the rock hats were rolled across Rapa Nui…

An eight-year-old boy has become the youngest person ever to climb the Old Man of Hoy sea stack. Edward Mills, from Caithness, in the Scottish Highlands, scaled the 137-metre-high cliff in the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland. The climb took him just under five hours. The Old Man of Hoy is two metres taller than the London Eye. The brave schoolboy has raised more than £24,000 for the Climbers Against Cancer charity. He is supporting the cause because his mum has breast cancer. Mills has enjoyed climbing since he was two years old and is part of Scotland’s youth climbing team. He trains on a small indoor climbing wall a few times a week and in the summer he climbs sea cliffs as well. He had two…

The next big update for Apple’s iPhone software will include features designed to get people using their smartphone less. The iOS 12 software will be released this autumn for iPhones (and iPads), and the Screen Time features aim to help people understand how much they’re using their device every day, as well as controlling how many notifications they get from apps. Google is introducing similar features for Android phones. Anyone with an iPhone or iPad will get daily and weekly reports on how much time they’re spending using apps and websites, and they’ll even be able to set limits – for example, being reminded to stop watching YouTube after a certain period of time. With the new Allowances feature, parents and guardians will also be able to set app limits…

“We have a robin’s nest in our garden. Whenever we have a look, the little babies jump up because they are expecting a worm from their mother. It’s so cute.” Charlotte, Year 5, and Ella, Year 3 “This is a watercolour painting that I did of the view from the Eurostar window.” Faith, Year 5 “Here we are outside the gatehouse at Sherborne Old Castle. It was really cool.” Tom, Year 6, and Ali, Year 3…

Around 1,000 people attempt to clamber up Mount Everest every year. Camps along the way help them rest and refuel as they make their way up the world’s tallest mountain. However, the climbers leave behind tonnes of cooking equipment, mountain-climbing gear and even poo. Since April, a team of 30 Tibetan mountaineers have been clearing up other people’s mess. They have collected 5.2 tonnes of household waste, one tonne of mountaineering trash and 2.3 tonnes of human poo. So, what do you think? Is this true or are we just causing a big stink?*…

Nine Cadbury chocolate bars that are 103 years old have been discovered in a tin that once belonged to a war hero. Leicester Regiment soldier, Richard Bullimore, was serving in France during the first Christmas of the First World War (1914–1918) when he was given a tin of 10 chocolate bars as a present. Only one of the 10 bars has been eaten and now the ancient treats are to be sold at auction. Paul Cooper of auctioneers Eddisons CJM said the chocolate was in good shape, but he wouldn’t be tempted to try it – would you? WOW! A 2013 study by scientists claims that hot chocolate tastes better when served in orange cups.…

On 7 June, Nasa announced that the Curiosity rover had discovered organic molecules in three-billion-year-old rocks on Mars, suggesting that the planet could have once been home to life. Organic molecules are tiny particles found in living systems. They contain carbon and hydrogen, and also may include oxygen, nitrogen and other elements. Although they are often associated with living things, organic molecules can be formed by processes that are not connected to creating life, so this new discovery does not prove that life definitely existed on the Red Planet. However, the molecules could have once supported life, possibly as a source of food. The car-sized rover was sent to Mars in 2012 to discover whether the planet is, or ever was, able to sustain life. Mars is, at the moment,…

Chris Grayling, the UK politician in charge of transport, has announced the Government’s decision to build an extra runway at Heathrow airport. Debate over a new runway – which would be the airport’s third – has been going on for nearly 20 years, and Grayling called the decision “momentous”. What has been announced? The Conservative Government says it wants to build the runway to encourage more business and tourists to the UK. Grayling claims that an extra runway will bring a boost of up to £74 billion, which will benefit the whole UK economy and create lots of jobs. He also says it is necessary because Heathrow is already full and can’t cope with any more passengers or business. If it is built, it will be the first full-length runway…

A22-year-old Coldstream Guard has made history by becoming the first soldier to wear a turban during the annual Trooping the Colour parade, which marks the Queen’s official birthday. The Coldstream Guards is the oldest serving regiment within the British Army, and was founded in 1650. Guardsman Charanpreet Singh Lall, from Leicester, was among more than 1,000 soldiers to take part in the parade on 9 June. The Queen’s Guards are famous for wearing large black hats, called bearskins; they have done so for more than 200 years. Lall is a Sikh, and wearing a turban is an important part of his faith. His turban featured a ceremonial cap star to match the bearskins worn by the other soldiers. It was the first time Lall had marched in the ceremony. He…

Christo is an artist famous for creating super-sized sculptures. Before his wife Jeanne-Claude died in 2009, they worked together on 23 projects, including wrapping a bridge in Paris and Berlin’s Reichstag (the German parliament building) in plastic fabric. Christo and Jeanne-Claude were born on the same day in 1935. Christo was born in Bulgaria and Jeanne-Claude was born in Morocco. Christo, who is 83 years old, is carrying on their work and is currently building a 20-metre-tall sculpture out of oil drums that will be placed on the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park, London. It will contain 7,506 oil drums that will be stacked together. The work is called Mastaba, which means bench in ancient Arabic. Although Christo’s wife is no longer with him, he still asks himself, “What would…

In 2017, the European Union (EU) consumed 7% more palm oil than in 2016. This is bad news for the orangutans that live in the rainforests of Malaysia and Borneo, because the lush forests are being chopped down to make way for more oil palm (the trees that palm oil comes from) to be grown. Palm oil is type of vegetable oil made from the fruits of African oil palms. Although these trees grow naturally in some places, rainforests are often cleared – usually by being burned down – to make way for the planting of oil palms so that more of the oil can be produced. This puts the lives of the animals living there at risk. Palm oil is used to make all sorts of things including cleaning…

There have been many theories about how the Moon formed but the one that is widely accepted today is the impact theory. The impact theory suggests that the Moon formed when a small planet – about the size of Mars – smashed into Earth. The debris from this collision stayed in orbit around Earth and eventually formed into the Moon. Nasa’s Apollo missions (1963–1972) sent astronauts to the Moon’s surface and brought back more than 300 kilograms of lunar rock. From studying this rock, scientists know that the Earth and the Moon have a linked history because the chemicals within the rocks are very similar.…

On 7 June, the popular BBC children’s TV show, Blue Peter, received the Sandford St Martin Special 40th Anniversary Award for its commitment to increasing its audience’s understanding of belief, faith and ethical issues. The Sandford St Martin Awards, which took place at London’s Lambeth Palace, are the most prestigious broadcast awards in the UK for TV, radio and online programmes that reflect themes of a religious, spiritual or ethical nature. This year, the Sandford St Martin Trust, which was founded in 1978, reached its 40th anniversary; Blue Peter will also be celebrating a landmark anniversary – its 60th – in 2018. Rt Reverend Jan McFarlane, from the Sandford St Martin Trust, said, “Since its early days, Blue Peter has been introducing young audiences to the world around them and,…

Fifa’s official app (see opposite page) is one way to follow this summer’s World Cup, but the BBC is offering another: an app that will show some games in virtual reality (VR). The BBC Sport VR – Fifa World Cup Russia 2018 app will work on Android and iPhone smartphones, as well as VR headsets like the Gear VR, Oculus Go and PlayStation VR. The app won’t put viewers in the middle of the pitch, though. Instead, it will let them watch matches from a “luxury private box in a Russian stadium” on a BBC Sport sofa, or from behind one of the goals, as if they’re sitting there for real. The app has some extra digital tricks to keep fans happy. Throughout games, match stats will pop up from…

Name: Evie and Evie Years: 5 and 6 “We are doing a sponsored six-mile bike ride to help save a trafficked and endangered species called the pangolin. The ride is taking place on 14 July on the Forest of Dean bike ride trail. Every five minutes, a pangolin is taken from its natural habitat in the wild. We feel strongly about the pangolins because they are being trapped, killed and eaten in the continents of Asia and Africa. The reason why they are being killed is because many people in Asia believe their scales are a cure for cancer, which they are not. Pangolins are fantastic creatures and they are in need of our help. If you would like to find out more, visit the BBC iPlayer and watch the…